Fishy Dreams
by Save the Queen XII
Summary: Set 10 years after the events of Final Fantasy XII, 9 years after the epilogue. Follows Valkyrie, the challenges he undertakes, and the people whom he crosses paths with. Sequel to Ancient Man of Mystery.
1. Chapter 1

All the locations, characters, etc. of FFXII do not belong to me. All original characters and locations do.

Information on updates will be in my profile, as per usual.

This story is a sequel to Ancient Man of Mystery, so if you're kind of confused, you might wanna go check that one out. Hopefully it'll clear some things up.

* * *

Chapter I

-Archades-

_Mssr. Valkyrie, we offer you our heartiest congratulations upon felling Mark LVII, also deemed the Nightowl..._

_...shipment of two hi-potion packs and ten tufts of phoenix down..._

_...never got a chance to thank you for your help in Rabanastre last summer, and I hope you will pass my regards along to Miss Beth..._

Valkyrie sighed, flipping through letter after letter. The mail held its usual score of formal thank yous and payments, but not yet what he was looking for.

True, he had been unusually successful for someone who'd only had his hunting license for three months. Of course, it helped that he had saved Ivalice from a horrible monster this summer and was "personally endorsed by Judge Magister Ffamran" (he would never forgive his cousin for that one). The Archadian prestige and fame had caused bills to simply fly across his doorstep, as well as the promised bounty that came with slaying a mark. Yes, there had been clan invitations, the most prestigious of which yet was the letter from Clan Centurio that had arrived last week. Yet...

"Still nothing," groaned Valkyrie, tossing the last letter onto the heap of post. Kicking back from the small desk, he began rummaging through his closet looking for a good winter coat. November in Archades wasn't exactly frigid, but his next commission lay in a particularly icy place. Tossing spare hangars aside, he jumped when a loud knocking rang throughout the apartment.

Tripping over a spare pair of shoes, he trundled to the door. Upon opening it, he discovered Beth, still in her school uniform.

"You look, uh, busy," she offered.

He shrugged. "Yeah, a little. Come on in."

She uncertainly entered the little apartment, taking a seat on the spare bed as Valkyrie returned to the closet, at last yanking out his coat.

"Going somewhere?" asked Beth.

"Yeah, I'm headed south as of tomorrow," said Valkyrie. "Oh, by the way, I got a letter from that Viera in Rabanastre we helped over the summer. She said to tell you hello."

"Oh, right, that's nice of her," said Beth, shifting a little on the bed. "It's really too bad you're going away. I mean, we've got a holiday coming up and all, it wouldn't kill you to take a break."

Stuffing the coat into his pack, Valkyrie turned to look at Beth. "Sorry, but this is apparently on special request from one of the nobles." He rolled his eyes. "Studies golems, looking for a special sort that only lives in the Feywood. I can't believe I have to go down there, but I'm pretty sure Ffamran would have rung my neck if I said no."

Beth nodded, sitting in silence for a moment.

"You want something to eat?" asked Valkyrie. "I went shopping earlier."

"I never see you any more, you know," she replied.

"Come on, are we going to have this conversation again?" said Valkyrie, exasperated.

"Look, I know I'm in school, and you're busy with your work, I've heard it a million times," said Beth, rolling her eyes, "but come on, you could make some sort of effort to stay in touch."

"What do you want me to do, huh? Write once a week?" growled Valkyrie.

"I see what you're doing," said Beth, crossing her arms. "Most new hunters would stick to familiar ground, but no, you're all over the map, I mean you're going to the Feywood, for the gods' sake."

Glaring at her fiercely, Valkyrie answered. "You know the reason I get these commissions. You were there. You helped."

"I heard you got an offer from Clan Centurio," she said icily, "you going to accept the offer? It's a pretty deal, you know."

"I already have a good place here," he muttered, "I don't want to have to go through the ordeal of moving to Dalmasca."

"Whatever. You'd have to move anyway."

Valkyrie closed his eyes, bending over the bed for a moment.

"Do you want to come with me this weekend?"

Beth nearly fell off the bed. "Seriously??"

"Yeah, why not. I mean, if you think you'll deal allergy-wise. I could use the company."

She jumped up, positively ecstatic. "Oh, forget that shit. I'm going home to pack right now. Bye! First thing tomorrow morning?"

"Uh...yeah."

A blur of energy streaked past him and slammed the door. Well, at least one of the two was happy.

-

A flight to Rabanastre, then a smaller ship taken to the Paramina Rift, then the trek across the frozen plains, and the entire way, Beth didn't shut up. Yeah, so she was thrilled to be out slaying monsters with him again. Mmhmm, it was great to be adventuring again just like old times.

Had he really turned into that much of an asshole in three months?

But he just couldn't help it. He didn't want to hear about what was going on at school, a venue that had been distant to him for what seemed like ages. Though he was aware of the rudeness, he couldn't help but cringe at every battle they fought. She had never been one for strength, true, but it was almost embarrassing to watch her clunk away at a beast while Valkyrie cut through each new foe like butter.

The Feywood, despite its eerie noises and chilling fog, was almost a source of relief. Here, Beth understood the meaning of silence, and he was able to focus his senses on the hunt entirely. This unsettling maze of growth with its suspense and threat, this was his element, where he belonged.

However, the Misty wood was not without its share of hosts, most annoying of which were the Deadly Nightshade, whose piercing shrieks lured other beasts to the fight with alarming regularity. It was no surprise that after defeating a particularly large group of these pesky mandragoras, Beth collapsed against a tree.

"You holding up okay?" asked Valkyrie.

"Fine," she wheezed, "it's just the allergies."

After glancing to make sure the area was clear, Valkyrie moved closer to the ailing Beth.

"We aren't too far from the rift," he said, "if you're feeling sick, it's best we go back now, before things get worse."

"No, no," said Beth, unsteadily drawing herself up, "I'll be fine. I've dealt with worse before."

Valkyrie clenched his teeth, knowing that was a lie.

"Well, I'll take you at your word for that. We'll continue on, but more slowly."

But Beth's condition continued to deteriorate. The further the two went into the Mist, the more increasingly labored Beth's breathing became. Stopping more and more often, the two finally took a long rest in a secluded corner of the tangle, Valkyrie growing more and more anxious.

"There's supposed to be a crystal not too far from here," he urged, glancing to either side of him. "As soon as you can walk again, I'm taking you straight there."

"S-sure," replied Beth, too tired to protest. "Hey…uh, why do you, keep looking around?"

"The mark," he hissed, "is supposed to be really close to here."

"So?" replied Beth, a little color returning to her face. "Aren't we dealing with a golem? They hunt by vibrations from the earth, and, we sure aren't moving."

A few piercing shrieks filled the air, followed by a roar.

"Uh, no," said Valkyrie, fingering the hilt of his sword. "See, the reason the researcher couldn't study the golems had to do with a number of his team getting eaten…"

"Eaten?!" shrieked Beth.

Another roar sounded, followed by a number of crashing footsteps.

"Goddammit Beth," said Valkyrie, drawing the Masamune. "Get ready to cast as much magick as you can muster. I'll fend it off."

A behemoth, black as night and crested with a double set of horns, came crashing out of the fog. Though its claws were already up and swiping, Valkyrie was one step ahead, already parrying the blow. Beth, nearby, was carefully eyeing the creature while drawing her pole. Recognizing the milky film in the creature's eyes, Beth fired off a quick cast of Oil. The beast shook its head wildly, and began pawing at its nose.

"It's blind!" she yelled raspily, "the scent of the oil will confuse it!"

"Thanks!" Valkyrie called back, immediately slicing away at the behemoth's legs. Agitated, the monster retaliated with Blizzaga, knocking Valkyrie to the ground. Though he was already downing a hi-potion, Beth also cast Cura, wasting the potion's effect as well as time.

Valkyrie bounded to his feet and pierced the back of the struggling beast, still trying to clear its nose and ears of the black sludge covering its body. Though she could barely stand, Beth was able to cast Fira, thoroughly crisping the mark. With a final swipe, Valkyrie decapitated the burning beast, and stepped back to let the flames burn out. He turned to congratulate Beth for a job well done, but she had fainted dead away.

"Oh gods," he muttered. Sheathing the katana, he hurried to her side, scooping her into his arms. Moving as quickly as he could while still remaining quiet, Valkyrie made a beeline for the crystal, its blue luster and warmth shining with relief.

Gently, he laid her body against the crystal, sighing with relief as the familiar blue tinge flooded her body. She didn't open her eyes, but her breathing began to steady, and it appeared as if she would soon recover. Knowing that none of the creatures would approach the crystal, he quickly stole away to gather proof of felling the mark.

Valkyrie deftly sliced away one of the smaller horns and stowed it carefully in his pack. As he turned to leave, there came an uncanny snarl from behind. He turned to see three Cerberus wolves, clearly coming to investigate the corpse of the slain behemoth. Sighing, Valkyrie readied the katana, fully prepared for the fight that was to come.

The first wolf made a headlong lunge for the swordsman; however, this was also a headlong lunge for the sword. Its throat pierced, the wolf slid off Valkyrie's blade, dead before it could even make an attack. The two companions, enraged by the fall of their leader, also leapt for Valkyrie, tusks aflame. The first combatant was easy enough to knock to the side, but the final wolf was particularly vicious, and Valkyrie did not escape the battle without a few burning scrapes. Hastily digging into his pack for salve, he paused: something glowing on the ground had caught his eye. It seemed that the tusk of the final wolf was still blazing.

Valkyrie carefully bent to cut the appendage from the monster's snout, marveling at his luck. The Hells-Gate Flame was remarkably difficult to come by, and valued for its use in swordcraft. Yet he had not so much gripped the shell when he looked up to see a thick blade staring him in the face.

"I'd suggest you drop that now, if you know what's good for you."

Valkyrie raised his eyes slightly. There was no mistaking that voice, that hair.

"Zeus!"

-

After a brief reunion and many apologies, the two hastily returned to the crystal, where Zeus agreed that it was in Beth's best interests to move her immediately. It was slow going, but the pair managed to escape the Feywood fairly unscathed and slog their way across the icy rift, where they again took a small respite at a shining blue crystal.

"So," said Valkyrie, leaning against the cliff face, "where've you been these past few months?"

She smiled apologetically. "Atak said you'd been by when I last stopped by the coast. I'm sorry, but I really haven't had much time to get back there. I've basically been all over the place."

"Doing what?" asked Valkyrie, checking the breathing of a still groggy Beth.

"Clearly, it's a secret," Zeus replied.

"Hmm," said Valkyrie, "to take a wild guess, I'm guessing you're tracking down weapons?"

"How'd you know?" she said.

"The Hells-Gate Flame is pretty much a dead giveaway," he replied.

"That's true," she said, shrugging, "though I must admit, it's slow going. How about you? How goes the hunt?"

"Pretty well, actually," he replied. "I've gotten a surprising number of commissions, though that's mostly thanks to some influence from the top, I'd suspect." He rolled his eyes moodily. "Well, let's get going. It's still a bit of a walk to the gate crystal."

Supporting Beth, the friends continued their journey.

"Any clans gotten their hooks in you yet?" asked Zeus.

Valkyrie was very grateful that Beth was still semi-conscious. "I've gotten a few requests, but, uh, nothing major."

"Huh. You think that whole 'destroying a deadly Mist monster' incident would have at least gotten Centurio sniffing around. They're always looking for heroes to add to their ranks."

"Uh, guess not," said Valkyrie, stammering slightly. "Oh, right!"

He stopped suddenly, drawing the Masamune.

"This is yours, and I should have given it back to you months ago. I'm very sorry."

Zeus eyed him quizzically.

"Naw, hold onto it for now, and give it to me when we gate out. Actually, wait," Here, she paused at the crystal, digging a teleport stone from her vest. "You wouldn't mind coming back to the coast with me, would you? It seems like a good idea to have Atak take a look at Beth."

Valkyrie nodded, slightly confused, but more than ready to leave. He'd had his fill of the cold for one day.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter II

-The Phon Coast-

The tingling of the gate crystal could at least relieve his stiff limbs, but the burst of warmth from the seaside was positively relieving.

Atak was surprisingly overjoyed to see him, and worried, in his own gruff way, about poor Beth's health. She was rushed to the nearby merchant, who sharply chastised Valkyrie for letting her deteriorate in such away, then hurrying off into her hut to nurse Beth back to health.

"Ugh, reminds me of the Viera," said Valkyrie, rubbing his ear.

"Yeah," agreed Zeus. She paused, then looked at him with a smirk. "You brought her with you to teach her a lesson."

"No," began Valkyrie, "I did not –"

"You did," Zeus cut in, "whether you meant to or not."

"I would not needlessly put her in danger," said Valkyrie, turning red.

However, Zeus was looking past Valkyrie at an approaching Atak. She hurried over to him (leaving the young hunter disgruntled), whispering something in his ear. The old Bangaa nodded.

"Hey, Valkyrie," said the redhead, turning back, "how would you like to join the Hunt Club?"

He gaped at her. "Just like that?"

"Yeah, just like that." She grinned. "Are you in?"

"Wait, don't I have to take care of paperwork or something? Documents need to be signed and such," he replied.

Atak barked a laugh. "Oh, that'll get taken carr of in time," said the wizened Bangaa. "Welcome to th' crew, son. If yer joinin' up, tha' is?"

"Of course!" said Valkyrie, nodding enthusiastically. He would have fun writing his reply to Clan Centurio upon returning home.

-

"So, this is where I live."

Valkyrie led Zeus into his apartment.

"It's not big, but it gets the job done," he said sheepishly.

He was very glad for the decision that their major base of operations would be in Archades. As Atak had pointed out, someone needed to keep in close contact with the Club's patrons.

"At least you've got a spare bed," said Zeus, rolling her eyes. "I was worried you were going to have to sleep on the couch."

"Thanks, seeing as it is my apartment and all," replied Valkyrie.

Zeus grinned. "Well, it looks comfortable enough, to say the least. Hey," said she, "is Beth doing any better?"

He sighed. "She's back in school, and that's about all I know. My dad really wasn't pleased with the fact that I let her accompany me."

"I suppose that's good," said Zeus. "The being back in school, I mean."

"Um," he began, changing the subject, "there's space enough in the closet for your things," said Valkyrie, "just in case you were wondering. I mostly use the drawers."

"You're not very used to sharing your space, are you?" asked Zeus.

Valkyrie hung his head. "Admittedly, no."

"That's fine," said Zeus, "I doubt we'll be here much anyways."

She reached into her pack, carefully extracting a pile of frayed papers and peeling off the topmost layer.

"Atak handed this off to me just before we left. Apparently, a flock of wyverns have been causing a lot of trouble in the Cerobi Steppe, damaging the windmills and such. We're supposed to look into it and see if we can at least take out some of the larger group."

"Anything detailed in the report?" said Valkyrie.

"Hmm," said Zeus, scanning the paper, "it looks like they've been mostly congregating around the first three windmills. Other than that, not much. Numbers-wise, the wyverns have been spotted in up to groups of fifteen at a time, but not all of them attack at once."

Valkyrie sighed. "I suspect that'll change if they're provoked."

"Come on, they're sky dragons," said Zeus. "If we take out the matriarch, they'll immediately get confused."

"Point taken" agreed Valkyrie. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

"Maybe a nap?" suggested Zeus. "I have been up since, oh, six this morning."

"Oh, right," said Valkyrie. "A nap it is."

-

Of course it would be raining when they arrived at the Steppe. Nothing like a humid, sticky trek across the uplands only to be greeted by a deluge.

"Ugh," said Zeus, leaning against one of the trees scattered sparsely across the plains. "I think I'd rather have the humidity back. I'm freezing."

"Tell me about it," said Valkyrie, "and it isn't going to encourage the dragons to come out either."

"It's a hunt in every sense of the word, then," said Zeus, grinning.

"Man, I'd forgotten how damn cheerful you are all the time," groaned Valkyrie.

"Only most of the time," she replied. "Let's keep going."

They quietly walked the soaking steppe, carefully passing by sleeping ash wyrms. After a bit of debate, they decided the best course of action would be to search the windmills for any dragons taking shelter, or wreaking havoc for that matter. The first few windmills turned up barren, but the second group played host to four angry wyverns. However, Valkyrie was right about the rain: the wet and cold slowed the dragons greatly, and the pair was able to slay them without much trouble, though Valkyrie did get a poisonous scratch on his arm.

Continuing north, they encountered a particularly scrappy wyvern lying in the banks of the river. Though this one could not fly, he nearly shredded Valkyrie to ribbons with his agile claws. Then, as soon as the boy finally managed to deliver the fatal stab, two other wyverns crawled out from beneath the nearby bridge, apparently awakened by the ruckus.

As they trudged to the next set of windmills, the cold was beginning to wear on the two travelers.

"This wouldn't even be so bad if it wasn't raining," said Valkyrie, rubbing his arms.

Zeus nodded. "And it only looks like it's going to get worse," she said. "The clouds are even thicker toward the next group of windmills."

Valkyrie stopped walking. "Wait a minute." He looked at the sky to the west, where they had come from. The clouds were definitely thinner than before. "Call me crazy, but I think the wyverns are causing the bad weather." He indicated to the clearing sky behind him.

"Hmm," said Zeus, "it's unusual, but not at all unlikely."

"I know we're already soaked to the bone," said Valkyrie, "but I'm thinking we should try heading for where the storm is the worst. We've probably a better chance of finding the queen that way."

Zeus shrugged. "I'm game."

The wind picked up fiercely as Valkyrie and Zeus headed toward the worst of the storm, whipping icily across the Steppe. Rain beat down on their backs, pouring with what seemed to be the strength of a waterfall. A few storm elementals crackled around, unusual for this part of Ivalice and undoubtedly attracted by the mysterious squall. At last, the two came across a blackened heap of a windmill, a gigantic dragon sleeping near the remains.

"That has to be her," hissed Valkyrie, drawing the katana, "get ready."

Zeus nodded, loading some grey shot into her guns. "I'll if I can silence it with this. Yell if you need any help and I'll come in closer."

Valkyrie rushed forward and sliced the creature's underbelly, but to little avail except to awaken the beast. The queen reared back, bellowing its discontent, first at the cut on her chest, then the gunshot pummeling her hide. Her roars rendered ineffective, she turned on the small redhead firing at her over and over.

Valkyrie seized the opportunity and dashed behind the dragon, slicing at one of her hind ankles. As soon as he felt the creature shudder, he ran beneath the creature, hoping Zeus wouldn't shoot him on accident. Beneath the wyvern he was provided with shelter, but the rain was only pouring down harder around him, and Zeus' visibility couldn't be good.

Taking a quick peek, it appeared that Zeus was shooting the dragon directly in the face, and thus had the queen distracted. Seizing the opportunity, Valkyrie thrust his sword up into the belly repeatedly, causing the creature to swipe wildly beneath it. However, its impaired ankle gave out with this movement, forcing Valkyrie to dash for the deluge, nearly escaping.

"Zeus!" he yelled, "I'm stuck!"

It didn't seem as though she could hear him, though. Only a when she was dodging the swipe of a front claw did she finally notice him.

"Valkyrie!" she hollered, "Hold still!" She holstered her guns and drew her red blades, rushing to his side. "I'm going to cut you out!" Even when she was screaming right near him, he could barely hear through the rain.

She quickly muttered the spell for Bravery and sunk the two swords into the left side of Valkyrie, provoking a roar: the Silence had worn off, and she had to act quickly. Carefully, she cut down and around, slicing as deep as she could. Valkyrie held himself completely still, but it was difficult; the howling dragon above him and the fear of Zeus nicking his legs made him want to get out as fast as he possibly could. At last, Zeus withdrew her blades.

"Give me your hand!" she yelled, sheathing one sword. He grabbed hold, and using the Masamune for extra leverage, managed to remove himself from beneath the dragon with her help. He then turned and, drawing his greatsword, buried the blade as far into the wyvern's flank as he could. The queen gave a final choked roar, and lay silent.

Miraculously, the storm ceased almost immediately, remaining as a misty rain. Valkyrie shuddered. "That was absolutely disgusting."

"I would agree," said Zeus, taking a step back. "You're absolutely covered in blood."

Valkyrie looked down. "Eugh, gross. Why couldn't the rain have stuck around a little longer?" He went to dislodge his sword from the creature's side, but the harder he tugged, the more resistance the blade seemed to give. "Ah damn," he said, "I think it's stuck."

"Well, that sucks," said Zeus. "We'll have to pick you up a new one in Balfonheim if they have some in stock." She shrugged. "You're better with a katana anyway."

"I know," said Valkyrie, sighing. "I know we should take something back to the petitioner as proof that we've slain it, but maybe the weather clearing up will be enough?"

"How about an eyewitness?"

Valkyrie and Zeus turned to discover a small group of pirates standing behind them, clearly having arrived from Balfonheim. A tall, beefy man was smiling at them.

"Our master saw the weather was clearing up and sent us to investigate. Looks like we've got you to thank for that," he said, extending a hand.

"And who might your master be?" asked Valkyrie.

"The Pirate Lord of Balfonheim herself," said the man, grinning even wider. "She was the one who posted the bill for the mark. The name's Rikken."

"Nice to meet you, Rikken," said Valkyrie, "I'd shake your hand, but in my current condition, I feel as though it would be a bit of an insult."

"Pleased," said Zeus, nodding. Valkyrie was much better at formalities.

"Likewise," said Rikken. "The foul beasts have caused us serious weather problems, as you can see. Balfonheim is very grateful to you, and if you come back with us to the city, you'll be rewarded handsomely." He chuckled. "And also offered a bath."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter III

-Balfonheim-

Clean at last, Valkyrie drank deeply from a mug of cider. He glanced over at the door of the Whitecap, noting that Zeus and Rikken still weren't done negotiating the reward for killing the wyverns. In fact, they seemed to be in the middle of an argument. Zeus turned her head, and upon seeing Valkyrie's inquisitive look, walked to his table and motioned for Rikken to follow.

"Rikken has a bit of a proposition for us," she said, looking angrily at the big pirate, "an 'off-the books' proposition."

"Well, let's hear it," said Valkyrie, "I must admit, I am curious as to what kept you so long."

"Well, you see, it's a test of strength," said Rikken. "After taking out a pack of wyverns, I figured you'd be up to the challenge."

"Be more specific," said Zeus, still glaring at the man.

"Well," said the pirate, shifting his eyes about, "you'd be off to the Ridorana Catoract."

Valkyrie blanked. "Where?"

"The site of the Pharos Lighthouse?" said Zeus.

"I still don't follow," said Valkyrie. "Why is this such a problem?"

"It's where the Sun-Cryst is," said Zeus, sighing.

"Was!" corrected Rikken. "The former Pirate Lord himself destroyed it 10 years ago! Besides, you won't be going into the lighthouse at all."

"Hmm," pondered Valkyrie. "Well then, what exactly will we be doing?"

Rikken grinned again. "There's a tyrant that roams the island, fighting all who will take it on. It's a tough one, hardened by battles throughout the ages, but I have a feeling you two just might be the ones to slay it."

"Sounds like fun," said Valkyrie, smiling back. "What are we offered for all this?"

"Er, you see," said Rikken, "this is not an official petition. It's offered at the discretion of the Balfonheim lord and her associates only. Thus, reward –"

"Is to be determined upon return," said Zeus, still scowling.

"Ah," said Valkyrie. He took another long, calculated draught from the mug. "Well, uh, I'm personally all for it," he said, a little apprehensive, "but it isn't my decision alone."

Zeus hung her head. "I guess I'm game as well," she said. "But that reward had better be worth the trouble."

"We'll make it worth your while, I assure you," said Rikken, clearly anxious to leave.

"Thanks," said Zeus. She motioned to Valkyrie. "C'mon, I could use some fresh air."

He hastily stood and followed her out of the bar, preparing himself for the wrath yet to come. Having experienced Beth's rage one too many times, he braced himself for the verbal onslaught.

However, when they exited the tavern, Zeus instead retreated to the railing to gaze out over the sea. Valkyrie faltered for a moment, unsure of what was expected here. Gently, he approached the fuming redhead.

"What's wrong?" he asked tentatively.

She sighed. "I just don't like going in blind with no promise or outcome. We may not be going into the lighthouse itself, but the island is still dangerous."

"I thought you were the adventuring type," said Valkyrie, shrugging.

"I am, but something tells me our air transport will be only too eager to leave if we don't show up before nightfall. We leave first thing in the morning," she said, explaining her sentiments.

"Well, chances are there's a gate crystal somewhere," he said.

"Yeah," she replied, still staring out at the sea.

Valkyrie was at a loss. He wracked his brain, trying to think of another topic, something to distract her.

"Um, your hair's gotten longer."

She turned to him, smiling. "All those conversation classes at that fancy Archadian school and that's the best you can come up with?"

"Well," he began, "I never did do very well in conversation? So, uh, tomorrow," he said, changing the subject hastily, "what's the plan of attack?"

She shook her head. "You're something else. Well, I was thinking we could a distraction ploy," she said, "one of us holds the monster's attention while the other plows away at it. Tyrants are strong, but not very smart."

"So one of us needs to be constantly in front of it, always moving a bit, just to keep it interested," said Valkyrie, catching on quick.

"Exactly," she replied. "Ideally, the decoy needs a dagger, as it's small and quick. A dagger also makes a shield easier to hold, and it's more adept at blocking, but I don't actually have one with me. A dagger, that is."

"I find that hard to believe, considering your arsenal," Valkyrie said, chuckling a little. "Hold on."

He dug into his pack, rifling through various supplies until he produced a small blade. "Does this work?"

"A Main Gauche?" she replied, "that's perfect."

-

"We'll be here for you until the end of the day," Rikken yelled from the airship. "Best of luck to you!"

The ship was kicking up a fierce wind. Valkyrie staggered forward, Zeus by his side.

"Hey, where are we going?" he called.

"I'm not entirely sure!" she yelled back, "I think we're supposed to head towards the lighthouse!"

The two stumbled into the ruins, taking a moment to catch their breath when they were out of the airship's range. However, as soon as they began crossing the cavern, they ran into a horde of angry mantises. Though not a terribly difficult variety, their sheer number and the need to consume supplies forced Valkyrie and Zeus to head south, into a large sort of arena.

"Hold on," said Zeus. She assumed the stance for Libra. After a moment, she looked up and nodded. "It's crawling with traps, but I don't see any monsters. If we're careful, we can cross safely."

"What do you think lives here?" asked Valkyrie.

"Or lived here," said Zeus, "looks like bloodstains on the ground."

"Huh," muttered Valkyrie. "Hope that's not an indicator of things to come."

The two trekked forward, dodging a few malboros and another swarm of mantises, until finally reaching a blue crystal, also surrounded by traps. Zeus took a gulp of water and removed a shield from her arm.

"It looks like the lighthouse is just beyond here. I'll see if I can find some high ground when we get closer," she said, handing him the shield.

He unsheathed the dagger and attached the shield. "No worries, I should be able to distract it for long enough."

She grinned. "I don't doubt you." Rummaging in one of her pockets, she pulled out a pouch of deep red shot and loaded it into her guns. "I'll try not to hit you by accident."

"That would be much appreciated," he replied.

Valkyrie crossed the bridge first, hoping to give Zeus some time to get past him. Stomping around in front of the lighthouse was a giant navy dinosaur, its hide licked with scars. Upon noticing Valkyrie's presence, it gave a thundering roar and began to charge.

"Now!" Valkyrie yelled. As Zeus streaked by him toward the stairs, Valkyrie raised his shield and absorbed the first of many hefty blows.

The battle continued in such a fashion for a while. Valkyrie blocked and dodged the tyrant's swipes while Zeus pounded bullets into it from the lighthouse stairs. Admittedly, it was slow-going. As the sun rose higher into the sky, Valkyrie's arms grew more and more tired. Soon, he would have to make a brief retreat.

"I need a Blind!" he yelled. Zeus quickly pulled out a different pouch of shot and reloaded one gun. Before long, the beast was stumbling angrily across the entryway, swiping the air around it. Valkyrie seized the moment and dashed over to the steps, uncorking his canteen and, after taking a long swig, handing it to Zeus.

"Thanks," she said, holstering one gun. "We don't have much time until it catches sight of us again," she said as he downed a potion.

"No worries," he replied, wiping his mouth. "I'm about to get back out there. Gods, how much longer do you think this is going to take?"

"I can't be sure," said Zeus, "This thing is unusually tough for a Saurian. Oh, shit, get to him quick! He's starting to smell for us."

And so Valkyrie raised his shield and bolted down the steps just in time to block a crushing claw swipe. The monster was now much closer to the steps, but ironically, this gave them the advantage instead of putting Zeus in danger. As the monster would still occasionally suffer bouts of blindness, she was able to pull off powerful shots straight into the creature's head. It seemed the tide had turned in their favor.

However, the beast let out a roar and flashed with light. Now his blows were raining down on Valkyrie's head with twice the strength.

"Hurry!" he called to Zeus, using all he could muster to stay standing.

He felt the ground crack beneath his feet as the monster stomped angrily against it to gain more leverage. With a sickening snap, he felt something in his arm break.

A torrent of blood poured onto his head. With a final, feeble roar, the dinosaur collapsed. Exhausted, Zeus stumbled down the stairs. "It has to be mid-afternoon," she said, groaning. "I hope the ship didn't leave."

"Me too," said Valkyrie, wincing. "Thank the Gods you took it down when you did."

"He was losing a lot of blood anyway," she said, shrugging, "it wouldn't have been long." She paused. "Hey, you don't look so good. Is everything okay?"

Valkyrie gently sheathed his dagger and used his other arm to help support his shield. "I'm not sure. I think I broke something."

She looked at his red and swelling forearm. "That really doesn't look good. I'll use a Curaga on you and bandage it, but we should definitely have that checked out once we get back to Balfonheim. Hold on."

She quickly assumed the stance for White Magick and used Curaga, pulling out a bandage as well to help stabilize Valkyrie's wrist. Then, she drew one of her blood-red swords and ran to the flank of the beast.

"I'd ask for your help," she called, "but something tells me you aren't really up for skinning anything right now."

-

Thankfully, the two made it back to the airship without any trouble (Zeus guessed it was the smell of the dinosaur that kept the other creatures away). Rikken's shock was a bit insulting when he caught sight of them returning with the hide of the beast, but he swiftly turned awe into concern. Noting the condition of Valkyrie's arm, he rushed the young hunter to the Manse as soon as the ship touched down in Balfonheim Port.

"How's it look?" asked Zeus, entering the room in which Valkyrie was resting.

He sighed. "It's a very small fracture, but a fracture none the less. With Curaga twice daily and applying some Hi-Potion every eight hours, it'll take approximately four to five weeks to heal, if I'm lucky. I'm not looking forward to that, though."

"Well, if we leave it alone, I think it takes about three months," she said, "so I'd choose potion saturation over dead weight."

There was a knock on the door. "If you don't mind, may I come in?"

It was Rikken. Valkyrie turned to Zeus and nodded. "Sure," she called back.

The burly pirate entered. "Our lord would like to have a word with you."

Clacking stiletto heels strode in the door behind him. A tall and stern looking Viera entered the room, her chestnut skin offset brilliantly by her white hair and her ears, the tips shot through with black. Though she was clad casually, wearing deep blue shorts over tight brown pants and a loose, flowing white shirt, the effect was counteracted by her gauntlets and helmet, obviously Viera made. She folded her arms and stared piercingly at the two friends.

"I am called Fran," she said in her shrill Viera accent.

Valkyrie bowed his head. "Valkyrie, your lordship." Zeus gave him a disapproving look. "We're Valkyrie and Zeus," she said.

Fran smirked with amusement. "Your manners, young Hume, though unusual, are appreciated. Raise your head. The code of Archadian etiquette serves no place in this world."

Valkyrie looked up sharply. "If you don't mind my asking, how did you know I was Archadian?"

"My ears hear much that yours do not," said Fran. "Besides, I know those of the Archades stock quite well."

"Disregarding his unfortunate birthright," said Zeus, "you've obviously come to us seeking something. What is it that you ask of us?"

Fran nodded her head. "The sailors have been complaining that the lord of the Nightmares has come to pay a visit. Considering your impressive work, I thought this task might be one you could handle."

"Where?" asked Zeus, met with Valkyrie simultaneous "When?"

"You would be returning to the Pharos Lighthouse," answered the Viera, "down to the shadows. It should not lurk deep within. As for when, only you can determine that."

Valkyrie and Zeus shared a look. "Quite honestly, my Lord," began Valkyrie, "I'm not too keen to return to Ridorana just yet, especially with my arm in the state it is."

"Understood," said Fran. "I hope you will make your return when your wounds have closed. Your help would be greatly appreciated."

The imposing Viera turned on her heels and strode out of the door. Rikken started to follow, but stopped briefly. "Oh, your reward," he said. "We've a rather large sack of gil for you when you depart, along with a cut of serpentarius. Let us know if you need anything." Then he too departed.

"'Unfortunate birthright?' Thanks," said Valkyrie to Zeus.

"Oh c'mon, you know she appreciated that," Zeus replied. She frowned. "Unfortunately, I think we're now obligated to go back to the Pharos. You don't say no to the Pirate Lord."

"Well, what are we going to do in the meantime?" asked Valkyrie. "I can't go off battling evil with an injury like this."

Zeus smiled. "I think I have an idea."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter IV

-Archades-

"You called, your Excellency?"

Judge Magister Ffamran strode through the double doors of the council hall with his usual grandeur. This greatly amused Emperor Larsa Solidor; no matter how brazen the antics of his Judge Magister, Larsa always took Ffamran's actions with a grain of salt. It was refreshing to see someone in political society with a sense of humor. His companion, however, did not share these views.

"Hmph, you'd think someone of your standing could show a little more respect," said the young woman seated next to Emperor Larsa.

"Ah! But of course!" cried Ffamran, sinking to his knees. "My most humble Emperor Larsa Ferrinas Solidor and the lovely Queen Ashelia B'Nargin Dalmasca, how may I be at your service?"

Queen Ashelia gave a sniff of discontent, but Larsa laughed loudly.

"Oh, lighten up, Ashe," said the young emperor. "You cannot tell me that anyone in the Dalmascan court puts on such an air as our Judge Magister here?"

"I suppose that's true," said Ashe. "Well then, seeing that you're here, Ffamran, I would guess that means Emperor Larsa has decided to enlighten you of what I have just told him."

"And that would be, sire?" asked Ffamran.

"Well, Ashe cannot see why I'm taking such stock in this, and personally, I don't really know myself why I find this so important," confessed Larsa, "but at the least, it's worth looking into. You see, the Great Chief of the Garif recently transmitted a message to the Dalmascan court."

"And why was Archades not included in this little wire?" asked Ffamran.

Ashelia smirked. "I believe they're still unhappy with the invasion of last summer."

"Emperor Larsa had absolutely nothing to do with that." The Judge Magister paused. "Though, their reaction is completely understandable. Go on."

"It's the usual sort of Garif talk, the gods are angry and so on," said the Emperor. "However, they talk about the Landis Mines in their note, specifically mentioning something called an 'engraved cavern.'"

"Is that all?" said Ffamran. "The Landis Mines have been shut down for a good while now. They're hardly anything to worry about."

"No, Ffamran, that is not all," replied Queen Ashelia. "The end of their letter states that a sort of calamity will ensue that has to do with Crystal Grande. Does the twenty-seventh transport mean anything to you?"

Ffamran sighed, removing his helmet. "I couldn't say." He turned to the Emperor. "I'm presuming you want me to investigate this?"

Emperor Larsa shrugged. "You have always been one for an adventure."

Wiping his brow, Ffamran gave a grunt. "The promise of a thousand kingdoms couldn't get me back inside the Great Crystal." He donned his helmet. "However, I'll check out the mines. And my cousin travels a lot, so he might be able to provide some insight."

"Thank you, Judge Magister," said Larsa. "And take Gabranth or Cinna with you. Call me overcautious, but I'd rather you not go into those tunnels alone."

"As you wish, your Excellency. At your leave and good day to you, Queen Dalmasca." Judge Magister Ffamran bowed his head, then left the two heads of state to talk amongst themselves.

"He doesn't seem to think it is just nonsense," mused Ashe.

Larsa nodded. "That is why I called him in here. He has a good sixth sense about these sorts of things."

Ashe smiled. "He has not changed much, which is a surprising sort of comfort."

"He has changed more than you think, sadly. He's been through a lot." The Emperor stood. "If you would be obliged, kindly inform the Garif that we are looking into their plight."

Ashe nodded. "Indeed I shall, Larsa."

-

Valkyrie noted that the damp air of the Nabreus Deadlands had the faint smell of sour milk as he watched the fog roll in and out.

"This has to be the most boring way to spend the afternoon," he groaned to Zeus.

Zeus grinned. "You're just grumpy because you aren't out of your sling yet."

"Oh, shut up," he muttered back.

The two were camped out on a bridge not far from an orange crystal, waiting for Leynirs to pass by.

"You think this is bad, you should've been with me when I was hunting in the Feywood," said Zeus. "I was there for a week before I'd slain enough Cerberuses."

"I guess," said Valkyrie, staring absently into the fog. "At least we only need one more. Though who knows how long that could take."

"Ssh!"

A gigantic orb of glistening black flame floated through the thick fog. Zeus and Valkyrie remained quiet until the entite had passed on.

"Thanks," said Valkyrie. "If it'd heard me, that would've been bad news."

Zeus rolled her eyes. "We wouldn't have been attacked. It's just respectful."

"What do you mean?" asked Valkyrie.

Zeus paused, glancing off into the distance, as if searching for something. "We believe that the Vagrant Soul is the spirit of someone who has died."

"We?" asked Valkyrie.

"My parents did, at least," said Zeus. "My family's originally from Léa Monde, but I don't really remember what it was like over there."

"You were born there?" asked Valkyrie.

"My parents came to the Phon Coast when I was a baby. There was apparently some sort of political crisis and we had to leave." Zeus shrugged.

"Ah," said Valkyrie. "That's...a long way from here."

"You're a shrewd one," said Zeus, smiling a little. She stood, suddenly. "Hold on."

The silhouette of a horse had appeared on the horizon. Zeus lifted one of her guns and took steady aim. One blast of gunpowder later, the mount had dropped to the ground.

"Nice," said Valkyrie. "Let's go."

The two friends crept through the mist to inspect the Leynir's corpse. Zeus, upon bending down, shook her head.

"No band on this one either."

"Goddamn, how much more time are we going to have to spend here?" said Valkyrie. "Back to the bridge, I suppose."

As the two reassumed their previous positions, Valkyrie looked at Zeus.

"Hey, um, if you don't mind me asking," he began, "do you have a name other than Zeus?"

"Do you have a name other than Valkyrie?" she countered, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," he said dejectedly, "but I don't enjoy it."

"There you go," she said.

"Pietr."

"Hmm?" said Zeus, turning to face him.

"My full name is Pietr Ffamran Valkyrie," he said, pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose.

"Ffamran?" said Zeus, "Like your cousin?"

"It's a family name," replied Valkyrie. "I've always thought it was too stuffy, so I asked people to call me by my surname." He glanced up at the sky. "Beth was one of the first people to really start calling me Valkyrie. She understood about not liking your own name."

"Huh." Zeus scratched the wood of the bridge with the barrel of her gun. "Mine is worse, believe it or not."

"I doubt that," said Valkyrie.

"Ugh," she uttered. Grimacing, she finally spoke. "Beatrix Zeus Iuliana."

Valkyrie grinned widely. "Okay, yeah, that may be worse."

Zeus glared at him. "Stuff it."

"Family name as well?" he guessed.

"Sort of," she replied. "Beatrix is a famous general we're supposedly descended from. Of the three names, you can see why I prefer Zeus."

"I dunno," said Valkyrie. "Beatrix isn't that bad."

"Hrmph. Beatrix is stupid. Though not as stupid as Pietr, I suppose."

"Hey!" said Valkyrie. "Oh, actually, wait." He raised his good arm, glowing with a dark purple light. A few feet away, a bolt of lightning could be seen crisping the silhouette of a horse. Tracking down the fallen beast in the swamps, Valkyrie returned a minute later, clutching the Leynir's bridle.

"Last one," he declared triumphantly. "Time to go home."

-

_Mssr. Valkyrie, my dearest cousin and all that rabble,_

_I wish I could say I'm writing to you out of the goodness of my heart and familial concern, but honestly there's a bit of official business I need to take care of. However, in the interest of retaining kinship, I'll go ahead and pretend I've penned this just to have a friendly chat._

_Dispensing with the formalities, how are you, cousin? Because the nature of my job permits me to do so, I must admit I've been stalking you a bit. Thus, I can congratulate you on your acceptance into the Hunt Club and your good work with the Pylraster. I would encourage you to keep in touch with Fran, by the by. She's a bit distant, but what Viera isn't? Let's just keep it between us that she has more stock and character than most Humes do._

_Anyhow, onto my aforementioned inquiry. There's recently been a message sent from Jahara, the whole Garif "end of the world" ballyhoo. I know it's uncharacteristic of me to think that there's any shred of truth in this, but something about their letter rubbed me the wrong way. I wanted to ask you, do you know anything about an engraved cavern in the Landis Mines? If you do not, I'd at least ask your ladyfriend; she's a particularly well-traveled sort._

_I'd tell you about all the exciting happenings in the palace, but first off, I can't or I'd lose my job, and second, there's nothing happening anyway. Archadia at peace? Shocking, I know. Though you are on the road a lot, it would be nice to hear from you every so often. I long for the freedom of the road that youth affords you._

_Many happy regards,_

_Judge Magister Ffamran_

"Hmm?" inquired Zeus, looking over Valkyrie's shoulder.

"Oh, er, nothing," said Valkyrie, jumping up suddenly. "It's just a letter. From my cousin. Hey, do you know about a cavern with engravings in Landis?"

"Huh?" said Zeus, slightly confused. "The only place I can think of is the section which we took refuge in this summer when the soldiers were chasing us. Anything else?"

"N-no," stammered Valkyrie.

"Alright." Zeus shook her head. "You're acting weird. I'm going to go take a shower."

She closed the door to the bathroom, locking it behind her. Valkyrie's apartment suddenly felt all too small.

As the water of the shower thundered nearby, he reread Ffamran's letter over and over, but somehow he could only seem to focus on one word. _"Ladyfriend."_ He knew it was just some of his cousin's overly arrogant speak, but still, that one word gave him a little glimmer of useless, fruitless hope.

Valkyrie closed his eyes, picturing their trip through the remains of Nabudis to try and find some soul powder needed to fuse an empyreal soul. He hadn't seen many monsters; as the Mist cleared from the area, the number of twisted fiends dwindled. Instead, he had been focusing on Zeus' face. She was calm and collected, but uncharacteristically grave. The two hadn't spoken much that day, and Valkyrie knew it was out of respect for her parents. Still, that hadn't stopped him from seeing every worried look and every bitten lip, and all he had wanted to do was –

Shaking his head, Valkyrie pushed the images of the necrohol out of his mind, and leaned back on his bed as other images took their place. Like how she teased him over his broken arm, always pretending to fuss over him like a nurse, making sure he reapplied potion as often as was called for. Or how her face had lit up upon seeing snow when they'd finally returned to Archades for a short break (it turned out that they'd missed the winter holidays). And the way that the pale green light of the Salikawood had offset beautifully with her cropped red hair.

He couldn't take this anymore. Grabbing a spare sheet of paper, he scribbled a note (out to grab Beth: be back before too long), tossed it on the spare bed – her bed – and stumbled out the door.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter V

-Balfonheim-

The handle practically bent to his hand, glittering golden. The arching jags, the perfectly inscribed text, the way it screamed of raw yet elegant power in the sunlight, it was all too much. It was perfect. It was the Tournesol.

Valkyrie and Zeus, after much argument, had finally reached an agreement that the two of them would trade off wielding the sword, as they both had provided the materials to forge it. Still, as they walked through the halls of the Manse, Valkyrie couldn't stop grinning as he imagined the sword in his hands again and again. He was tempted to unsheathe it in the middle of the hallway and go through his blocking drills, but Fran would probably find that highly stupid.

"I am told that your arm is better?" asked the Lord of Balfonheim in her piercing voice.

Valkyrie nodded. "Indeed it is," he said, his grin practically lighting the whole room.

"Humes," muttered Fran wryly. "Now, I assume that the both of you have returned to answer my call of a favor?"

"Name what you seek, and we will answer it, Lord Fran," said Zeus, elbowing Valkyrie in the ribs.

A glint of amusement flashed across the Viera's face. "The wards of ships that travel both sky and sea have come to us with an interesting plight. It seems that captains across the East have been plagued with recurring nightmares, making it near impossible for them to sleep. Do you follow?"

"We do," said Zeus, "but I must admit, I'm a bit puzzled. We're hunters, not scientists."

"And hunters are exactly what we need," replied Fran. "Legend tells us that deep within the Pharos Lighthouse, the Lord of Nightmares makes his home."

Zeus and Valkyrie turned to look at each other, both extremely uncomfortable, waiting for the other to speak. At last, Valkyrie took a deep breath.

"I can only assume you mean Ixion," he said hesitantly.

Fran nodded. "I see you understand the gravity of this situation. However, I truly believe that you are the best for the job." She extended a long, knife-like finger and pointed at the crest around Valkyrie's neck. "You have the benefit of a protector."

For a long time, no one said a word.

"We'll go," said Zeus abruptly. "Though I assume we'll be compensated most handsomely."

"Name whatever you wish, and it shall be yours." said Fran. "The ship waits."

The redhead bowed her head in gratitude. "Thank you." She nudged Valkyrie. "Come on."

The two strode solemnly out to the aerodrome. As they approached Fran's airship, Valkyrie began hissing at Zeus.

"Why are we doing this?"

Zeus shrugged. "Do you really think you could say no to her?"

"Alright," said Valkyrie grudgingly, "I'll give you that one. But I'm still not happy chancing my neck like this."

Zeus laughed nervously. "We risk our lives everyday. How is this any different than facing Zargabaath or Adrammelech?"

"Adrammelech was an accident and the future of Ivalice was at stake in regards to Zargabaath," said Valkyrie bitterly. "Now I'm knowingly putting myself in a situation where I could easily get myself killed."

"Hey, if it makes you feel any better, you'll survive longer than I will," Zeus joked, shrugging. "It's like Fran said; you're practically shock-proof."

-

No matter how unsettling Ridorana itself was, the lighthouse was ten times worse. The eerie blue light augmented by the damp and dirty taste in the air did not work any wonders on Valkyrie's sour mood.

"So, how far up are we going?" he asked halfheartedly.

Zeus sighed. "Actually, we're going down. Ixion would want to lurk on the darker levels, so we'll explore the Subterra one floor at a time."

"This only gets better," said Valkyrie. He unsheathed the Tournesol, finding some small comfort in the grip of the faultless sword. "Down we go, then."

He and Zeus gingerly approached the lift. After fiddling with the lever a bit, they finally began a swift downward descent. When the lift at last creaked to a halt, Zeus led the way out, guns at the ready. Valkyrie rushed out behind her, his frustration with the whole situation fueling his adrenaline.

"Wait," whispered Zeus.

"Hmm?" said Valkyrie, stopping short.

"Close the gate," she murmured. "We don't want any monsters lying in wait for us if we have to leave quickly."

"Don't be silly, do you see any monst – " Valkyrie's question was cut short by their both realization. The Subterra, which was supposed to be overflowing with Mist-wrought creatures, was completely barren. It was not hard to recognize that something was very wrong.

Zeus licked her dry lips. "You know what, leave it open." She glanced around nervously. "We'll make our way slowly around the perimeter of the ring."

Practically sweating bullets, the two edged their way around the circular platform, constantly looking back to ensure safety. Zeus abruptly stopped when they reached the other side, staring back across the way at the elevator.

"You're right," she said quietly to Valkyrie. "This was a really stupid idea. When we get back to the lift, we're going home."

"Oh thank the Gods," said Valkyrie. As the two continued onward, Valkyrie frowned, looking down at his chest.

"What's wrong?" asked Zeus.

"The crest," he said, puzzled. "It's humming."

The two stood still. The melodic buzz of the crest could audibly be heard in the silence.

"We have to get out of here now," Zeus whispered, visibly afraid.

The two rushed toward the open gate of the lift. Just as Valkyrie was about to step on board, a crack of lightning struck the ground in front of him, tossing the party backward. A menacing blue stallion, crackling with electricity from head to toe, now had its forelegs raised in preparation to crash down on Valkyrie's head.

"Dispel!" yelled Valkyrie as he swung the Tournesol up to meet the Nightmare Lord. Zeus, still shaken, hastily assumed the stance to cast the Magick as Valkyrie curved the Tournesol around Ixion's body. The sword practically flew on the winds, deftly striking leg, then flank, then hind. Ixion's neighs turned to screams of pain as it redoubled its efforts to crush the young warrior. The sparking tips of its mane turned a violent purple.

Valkyrie felt the life force suddenly suck from his body, but just as swiftly he felt it replaced with the breath of life. Zeus had administered a quick Esuna to counter the curse of the foul beast and was just as quick with a Curaga to follow. As Valkyrie felt his limbs charge with Bravery, he knew Zeus was no longer cowering. He grinned, thrusting the Tournesol at Ixion. Roaring with rage, the fiend struck Valkyrie's legs with a cast of Thundaga, but the lightning shattered off of his body as Adrammelech's crest glittered around his neck.

The monster then tried to concentrate its fire on Zeus, but she was too nimble and Valkyrie too vigilant to let any harm come to her. Whenever the monster tried to land a curse or a cast of thunder magick, Valkyrie was there to absorb the blow and immediately slice back with the mighty Tournesol.

As the battle continued to rage on, Valkyrie could feel the sweat pouring down his brow, but he did not grow tired or falter once. Ixion, on the other hand, was visibly fading. The two parried each other, hoof to blade, until at last the nightmare stumbled backwards, tripping over its own back legs.

Valkyrie saw his chance. Loosening his grip slightly on the fabled blade, he swung his weight forward, whistling through the dark air of the Subterra.

Light flashes. A searing ache. A scream. Everything goes dark.

-

The room swam in blurry colors, then abruptly came into focus. Where was he? He blinked, glancing around, taking in the sight of the blonde woman with braids next to him.

She looked at him, then started. "Thank the Gods, you've come too."

Suddenly, he remembered. "You're Penelo."

She smiled warmly. "Yes, yes I am. It appears that you're in a lot better condition than we thought."

He tried to sit up, but found that he was much too sore to move. "What happened? Where am I?"

"You're back in Balfonheim, Valkyrie," said Penelo, putting on his glasses. "You've been asleep for about three days now. We were concerned you weren't going to wake up."

"Wait, three days?" Valkyrie cried. "What happened? What's going on? Where's Zeus?"

"Calm down," said Penelo firmly. "You don't want to exert yourself. You've been through an ordeal." She glanced out the window. "I think Zeus is out on the steppe right now. She goes out there a lot to take out her frustration on the coeurls."

Valkyrie shook his head. "I don't understand."

Penelo looked sad and worried. "I'm not honestly sure if I'm the right person to tell you this."

"What?" he asked, exasperated.

"Well, there was a mishap when you were fighting Ixion," said Penelo, averting her eyes.

"Yes?" said Valkyrie.

Penelo remained silent.

"Come on," he pleaded.

"You got shot through the chest with a bolt of lightning," she blurted. "And then you, you crumpled."

Valkyrie fell into quiet confusion.

"I'm sorry," murmured Penelo. "I've never enjoyed telling people this sort of thing."

Vaguely, Valkyrie reached up to feel his chest. His fingers were met with a large splash-shaped scar, sprawling all across the front of his torso. "It doesn't hurt," he said distantly.

Penelo grinned faintly. "That's a very good sign. Unfortunately, I don't think the scar will ever go away, but if the pain has ceased – "

"What happened next?" interrupted Valkyrie.

"Zeus came in with you by way of the gate crystal. You were immediately brought here, to Fran's home, and I was called in," answered Penelo. "Fran and I know each other from a long time ago." She blushed a little. "I know I don't look like it, but I'm actually highly proficient as a healer."

Valkyrie's eyes widened. "How did we escape?"

Penelo looked uncomfortable. "It's not a very pleasant story, though I suspect you'll want me to tell you anyway."

Valkyrie nodded.

"From what I've gathered from Zeus, just after you collapsed, she managed to get hold of the Tournesol and, erm, ram it through Ixion's throat," said Penelo. "She then dragged you into an elevator and used the gate crystal to get you two back here." Penelo's face softened. "She's been very broken up about everything."

Valkyrie's face fell. "When she gets back, someone needs to tell her I'm awake."

"Unless she's been out on the steppe, she's been by your bed the whole time," said Penelo.

A brilliant blush overtook Valkyrie's face. Penelo, recognizing this, hastily changed the subject.

"It really is quite remarkable," she proclaimed, "how resilient you've been. I was astonished you were even still alive when I got here, not to mention how astounding it is that we managed to save you. I suppose you did have an advantage though. Espers are amazing in their ability to offer protection."

Turning to face the blonde, Valkyrie managed a smile. "Don't be modest. I know it's mostly thanks to your help that I'm still here." He stared up at the ceiling. "Though the code of Archadian chivalry isn't supposed to apply here, there are some policies I still can't ignore. I'm in your debt for this." Looking in the eyes, he assumed a serious expression. "Anything you need, know that you can call on me."

"Oh, no no," said Penelo, "that's not at all necessary."

"I insist," said Valkyrie. "I don't generally adhere to the rules of the gentry any more, but you saved my life. I will always remember that."

Penelo looked extremely guilty. "Well, in truth, there is something I want to ask you about."

"Whatever you wish," replied Valkyrie.

"Well," she began, "do you remember when you came to see me in Rabanastre and asked about Vaan? How I told you he's been on the road and I don't really hear from him?"

"Yeah, I remember," said Valkyrie.

"That's not entirely true." Penelo's face fell. "I really do know where he is, and I'm pretty sure at this point he isn't going home, but I can't help but hope."

"Where is he?" Valkyrie asked.

She bit her lip. "He went to Giruvegan, to explore the Great Crystal."

"I don't know of the Great Crystal, but I do know of Giruvegan." said Valkyrie, cringing.

"Whatever you've heard of the evils of Giruvegan, the crystal dwarfs those stories," said Penelo, shuddering. "I would never go back there for anything, but Vaan was convinced he had to go there for some reason. He only told me not to worry and that he would come home soon enough."

Sighing, she looked crestfallen. "I know in my heart he's not coming back, but there's an old legend that says that those who die in the Great Crystal are never really dead. Ordinarily I wouldn't believe that sort of thing, but knowing firsthand about that place, I'll be the first to say that anything's possible there."

"Hey, don't discount it," said Valkyrie, "I've learned that there's more stock in the old legends than most people think."

"Thanks," said Penelo, smiling again. "I really shouldn't be asking you this, but I'd like you to go to the Great Crystal and see if you can find him, or at least some sort of proof that he's been there. After four years, I need to put this to rest."

"Consider it done," said Valkyrie. "When I can walk again, that is."

The door suddenly burst open and Zeus strode in, carrying with her the smell of rain and gunpowder. Upon seeing Valkyrie's open, lively eyes, Zeus stopped in her tracks, her own eyes rimmed red.

"You're awake."

That familiar blush crept onto Valkyrie's face, but for once, he didn't remove his gaze from hers.

"Yeah, I am."

"He doesn't seem to have any terrible pain either, just a general soreness," said Penelo brightly. "His chest has healed beautifully."

It was then he noticed that Zeus wasn't carrying her usual arsenal, just her two guns and the Save the Queen. However, this quickly became unimportant as she drew close and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I was...really worried," she whispered.

At first carefully, then firmly, Valkyrie hugged her back.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter VI

-The Phon Coast-

The next month was painfully slow for Valkyrie. Though he was grateful that Fran and the rest of the pirates had consented to move him to the Hunter's Camp (Penelo had said the sea air would do him some good), he still spent both his nineteenth birthday and the turn of the New Year bedridden. Though by all accounts, he was lucky; not only was he healing quickly, there was plenty of company nearby.

There was Zeus of course, and old Atak when she was out hunting, who kept Valkyrie amused with stories of his youth as a pirate, back when pirates still sailed the seas. His father came to visit on his birthday and stayed for the New Year, fretting over his condition terribly but nevertheless cheering him up, what as the two hadn't seen each other in a while.

Beth also came by just after that, but she only stayed for the afternoon, mostly to yell at Valkyrie for being so stupid. He couldn't honestly tell if she was happy to see him or not, but he did miss her. Though he suggested she come out hunting with the party next school break, she declined, and left soon after that. Penelo, of course, came to check up on his condition every so often. And one day, a visitor turned up completely unexpected.

It was a clear, warm morning at the tail end of January, and Valkyrie was walking along the beach, carrying the Tournesol. At long last, he had gathered enough strength to not only move again, but wield his armor and weaponry. It seemed he that and Zeus would be able to head out on another adventure soon, which was just what he needed. Besides, he had to make good on his promise to Penelo.

"Valkyrie!" called Atak, coming up behind him. "There's trouble."

Valkyrie turned to face the huntmaster. "What's the problem?"

"Imperials," growled Atak, "Come into camp a few minutes ago. Don' know wha' they're here fer."

Valkyrie blinked. Archades' finest in the Phon Coast? "Lead the way, sir," he replied.

As Valkyrie approached the three imperial soldiers, the sun glinted off their armor, casting a glare onto his glasses. As he shielded his eyes, he could tell that the first two were judges, which surprised him even more. However, when he caught sight of the ornate armor of the third figure, he understood at once.

"It's alright," he told Atak, "they mean us no trouble."

He approached the third man. "What are you doing here?"

Judge Magister Ffamran folded his arms. "Good morrow to you too, cousin," he said gaily. "Shall we walk?"

The two men walked down the length of the shore, looking very odd next to each other.

"As a matter of fact, I came to see if your sorry hide survived the Pharos," said the Judge Magister. "I tried to get here sooner, but you know what celebrations are like in the palace this time of year. And then I traveled all the way to Balfonheim, to find out you're shacking up here."

"Your concern is greatly appreciated," said Valkyrie, rolling his eyes. "I'm just fine now, though I do have a big ugly scar on my chest."

"Don't lament it," said Ffamran. "Scars are heroic. And come along, I honestly was worried."

Valkyrie sighed. "I know. It's just that the sight of the Archadian military showing up at your doorstep is always a little intimidating."

"So you're living here now?" teased Ffamran, "What about the little lady? She living with you?"

Valkyrie blushed. "No, this is just temporary," he mumbled.

"Say no more," said the Judge Magister, holding up his hand. "I always enjoy embarrassing you, but the matter of ladies is never one to mock. My apologies."

"Actually, speaking of, err, ladies," said Valkyrie, "I never did get a chance to reply to your letter, about the Garif. Zeus actually does know of a place in the Landis Mines that has text covering the walls. And she has translations for most of it too."

"Well then, this was actually a worthwhile endeavor," said Ffamran (Valkyrie could almost see his smarmy grin). "You think she could point me in the right direction?"

"I'm sure she'd be...happy to. I'll see if I can get a map from her," replied Valkyrie.

"My thanks abound," chortled the Judge Magister. Then his tone turned grave. "Wait, I do have a serious matter to discuss with you."

"That's a surprise," joked Valkyrie.

"Haw haw," sneered Ffamran. "I spoke to Penelo. You aren't really going to Crystal Grande are you?"

"She saved my life," replied Valkyrie, "I'm in debt to her and you know it."

Ffamran's tone became even steelier. "I should flay her for even asking. It's ridiculous."

"Tell you what," said the younger man, "you have my permission to seize possession of all of her assets if I don't return."

"I fear all that would do is put us in trouble with the Dalmascan government, cousin," said Ffamran. "I know I can't stop you from gallivanting off, but do consider this. The place is dangerous in a completely different way than the Pharos. Foul beasts are not your biggest worry this time around."

"Believe me, being bedridden gives you plenty of time to think," answered Valkyrie.

Ffamran held up his hands in defeat. "It's your head. Now, where's that lovely map you mentioned?"

-

"Wow, jeez," said Zeus, squinting. "It's bright in here."

Valkyrie sighed as he adjusted his eyes to the bright yellow walls of the crystal. "Last chance to go back," he offered to Zeus.

"You really think I'm leaving you here alone?" she replied. "Not a chance." She looked around, taking in the sight of the island they were standing on. It was small and circular, and it seemed to hover, only supported by the magic of Crystal Grande. There were three breaks in the side of the circle – paths, she supposed – and of course, the transporter on which they had arrived.

Valkyrie pulled out a piece of parchment and a pencil. "What's that number on the side of the waystone?" he asked.

Zeus inspected the transporter. "Eight."

"Alright then," he said. "We know that waystone will take us back to the city. Now, my cousin said that we should start looking for waystones marked with higher numbers, as the ones with lower numbers will only lead us back to the Feywood. Any suggestions as where to start?"

"Well, it's just a guess," said Zeus, "but I'm thinking we should try to see if we can unblock that path over there."

She gestured to a large blue barrier covering one of the openings. Valkyrie moved to inspect it. "There's some sort of strange symbol in the middle."

Zeus grinned. "Still don't know your zodiac, eh? It's the sign for Scorpio."

"Yeah, I really should get around to learning that," muttered Valkyrie.

Zeus walked over to one of the openings. "Hey, what are the odds that a magical levitating walkway is going to show up as soon as I step off?" She bravely stepped over the edge, only to be proven right; a green pathway emerged with a crack, extending upward. "Oh, hey," said Zeus, surprised. "I wasn't actually sure that would work. That's cool."

Valkyrie tested the remaining opening, only to discover that the pathway that appeared led downward.

"Well, higher numbers means higher up, right?" asked Zeus. "Let's try this way."

The two friends ascended the pathway, only to discover a device that looked similar to a waystone.

"Scorpio's carved into the side of this one as well," said Zeus, checking the side of the mechanism. "I bet it's related to the barrier we saw."

"Excellent," said Valkyrie, marking 'Scorpio stone' on his paper. "How do we activate it?"

"Well, I guess we could just touch the blue ring floating around the top," suggested Zeus.

Valkyrie gave it a try. "Hey, it disappeared."

"Alright," said Zeus triumphantly, "let's go check out – oh shit."

Four black bombs had materialized behind them, and they didn't look happy.

Zeus immediately drew her guns and began pounding into the first two, while Valkyrie lunged forward into one with the Tournesol, only to have it explode in his face. Shaking off the damage, he swung into the one closest to him, cutting it down with help from Zeus, who was then knocked backward by another explosion. The two quickly dispatched of the remaining fiend, but remained shaken.

"Something tells me this is only going to get worse," said Zeus, getting back on her feet.

"Let's try not to think about that," said Valkyrie.

The two returned to the previous island, only to discover that the Scorpio gate was wavering like the smoke from a lit candle. Valkyrie extended his hand to touch the gate, causing it to disappear and an upward path to materialize. The two traveled the path, finding another waystone.

Zeus checked the side. "This one is nine. Looks like we're on the right path."

Valkyrie marked his makeshift map. "Then onward we go."

They materialized next to another waystone, which, upon inspection, revealed to be numbered ten. There was only one path leading on, so the two had no choice but to take it, discovering another island with a waystone and a reaper.

"So, which one is this?" asked Zeus, stepping forward, but the reaper flew in front of her, crossing its scythes. She began to draw her guns, but Valkyrie stopped her.

"Don't," he cautioned. "I don't think it'll attack us unless we try and get near that waystone. Besides, do you know the stories about what happens to those who attack –"

"They're Archadian bedtime stories, Valkyrie," replied Zeus, rolling her eyes. "Even so, I guess it couldn't hurt to leave him alone. We'll just have to find another way around."

The reaper nodded his head, as if in thanks, then lifted a claw skyward. Valkyrie and Zeus looked around, only to notice that including the path they arrived on, there were six possible ways to travel, two blocked off by blue barriers. Zeus looked at each barrier to determine the zodiac sign.

"They're both Sagittarius," she said.

"Then let's see what direction the remaining paths lead," decided Valkyrie.

Two led downward, and one headed up. The two decided to take the upward path at first, but were only greeted with a dead end and more bombs to destroy. Upon returning to the reaper-guarded waystone, they tried to decide which of the downward roads to take, at last settling on the left-most one and arriving at an island patrolled by two strange-looking coeurls.

"Oses," whispered Zeus, "the most rare and dangerous of cats. Let's see if we can get the first strike."

Zeus carefully drew her fomalhauts and took aim at one of the large feline heads, putting two bullets through the large brain to instantly kill the creature. The other, upon noticing its slain companion, charged toward the party, but Zeus was ready with two more shots.

"Looks like there's only one way we can go," said Valkyrie, leading the way, "and it looks like there's another one of those zodiac stones in the distance."

"We'd best be prepared for bombs," said Zeus. "You go in to deactivate the stone and I'll pick off the bombs."

Her plan worked surprisingly well, and the two raced back up the path they came from to discover both Sagittarius gates flickering.

"But which way now?" Valkyrie wondered aloud, hastily making the additions to his map.

"I pick right," said Zeus, shrugging.

"If you say so." Valkyrie touched the rightmost gate. As it disappeared, the other barrier became solid again. "Looks like we don't have much of a choice now," he said.

The two followed the path to another waystone. "Hey, you made the right choice," Valkyrie lauded, "this one is marked twelve. It's a historically lucky number."

Zeus flashed a smile. "What can I say? I'm talented like that." Suddenly, she turned sharply to her left.

"What? What's wrong?" asked Valkyrie, drawing his sword.

Zeus blinked. "I thought I saw something."

"Well then, let's go before it catches us," he replied. However, Zeus was still blankly staring straight ahead. "Come on." He grabbed her arm and pulled her towards their transport on.

When they reappeared, the crystal walls were considerably darker, dark enough so that Valkyrie could see the Mist coating the air.

"Oh gods, don't tell me this has been here the whole time," he groaned. "I didn't even notice it when we were further down. Hey, what's the number of that stone?"

Zeus stared hard at the stone for a moment. "Um, fourteen, I think."

"Are you sure?" asked Valkyrie.

She stared for a bit longer. "Yeah, fourteen."

"Okay then," said Valkyrie. "To the right again?"

"Sure," replied Zeus, appearing a little dazed.

Valkyrie frowned. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine," said Zeus. "Let's go."

They continued on the right path, discovering another gate stone. "Which one is this?" Valkyrie asked her.

She bit her lip, and at last replied, "Leo."

"Well, we haven't seen the gate yet, but it couldn't hurt to press it," Valkyrie concluded.

"I guess so," said Zeus. She aimlessly poked the blue ring around the top.

"Hey, why didn't you..." Valkyrie began to ask, then stopped as he noticed three ghosts appearing around them. Drawing the Tournesol, he managed to slice through the first two, then turned to see Zeus struggling for her guns as the ghost set upon her. Quickly, he cut down the fiend and tended to his friend.

"What happened there?" he asked with concern.

"I'm not sure," she said, rubbing her temples. "Ugh, I'm getting a terrible headache."

"You know what," proposed Valkyrie, "let's keep our weapons out from now on."

The two descended the only path from the Leo stone to discover its respective barrier, but it only blockaded a dead end, and thus Valkyrie declined to touch it. They returned to waystone fourteen, thankfully unplagued by monsters, and continued to the left where they discovered yet another beast.

"Shadonirs," Zeus murmured, horrified. "Undead warhorses."

"There's only two of them, though," Valkyrie reassured her. "Come on."

As Valkyrie moved in to cut down the first, Zeus began riddling the other with bullet holes, still wearing an expression of dread. After the two beasts fell, Valkyrie called Zeus to him, and they took the next path, only to discover more of the same.

As they traveled forward, Zeus became more and more reluctant to press onward. With every monster slain, she grew to be more frightened and her eyes grew wilder. When they at last reached another shimmering Leo gate, Valkyrie slew the warhorses (thanking the gods for the Tournesol) and stepped forward, only to hear her call his name.

"Let's go back," she said.

"What? Why?" he said. "We're getting closer to the top of the crystal. There's bound to be something there."

"I don't want to go on anymore," she whispered, closing her eyes.

Valkyrie's face softened. "I promise you, we'll rest when we get to the next waystone."

He gently led her through the Leo gate, leading into an area with a pair of ghosts. They dispatched the phantoms, but it took some time, as Zeus kept missing her shots. Valkyrie then turned to see another gate.

"Zeus, come here," he said gently. "Which gate is this?"

She gazed at it for a long time. "This is Gemini."

He smiled at her. "Thanks. It won't be much longer before we can rest, okay?"

She nodded solemnly. As they ascended the path to the next area, he saw something that made his blood run cold. A ghastly figure, surrounded by flickering purple flames, loped around the ring of the floating island.

"An undying soul," he said quietly. His eyes sought to locate the nearest path, but he was not quick enough. In front of him, he heard a horrible screaming, and saw Zeus, firing away into the zombie. Others quickly rose to defend it, which caused her to scream louder, shooting in every direction. Dodging the bullets as best he could, Valkyrie grabbed her arm and raced down the next path, the undying loping behind them. When the next waystone came into view, he took no time to check the number, only grabbed the device to avoid the oncoming horde.

They both collapsed onto the ground next to the waystone they appeared at. She was whimpering, her eyes shut tight. He glanced at the waystone, noting the number sixteen, but he supposed it didn't really matter now.

Zeus laid her head on his shoulder, and Valkyrie put his arm around her, at last understanding what Ffamran had talked about. She was going mad, and he could see why; in this even darker portion of the crystal, the Mist overhead glowed brightly, unnaturally.

A reaper was guarding this waystone as well, but it didn't attack or come near. Instead, it stopped to raise its talon. _To wave_, thought Valkyrie. _To say he'll be seeing us soon enough_. As the reaper continued circling the area, Valkyrie pulled Zeus closer. "You're wrong," he said aloud. "We'll find our way out." He sighed and clutched his head. "And get you some help," he whispered to Zeus.

Heeding Valkyrie's words, the reaper pointed his scythe straight up. "The top?" asked Valkyrie, "there's help there?" The reaper nodded. "I must be going crazy too," muttered Valkyrie, "talking to reapers. But it's the only clue we've got."

-

When Zeus could stand again, Valkyrie sheathed one of her guns and took one for himself, keeping his free arm around her. They headed due north to a gatestone, guarded by one lone undying soul. Quickly covering Zeus' mouth, Valkyrie slew the zombie with one hushed shot to the head, ensuring that others would not follow. They carefully approached the stone, and Valkyrie spoke to Zeus.

"What sign is this, Zeus?" he asked.

She remained silent a long time, then choked out an answer at last. "Libra."

"Thank you, Zeus," he whispered, pulling her close. "I promise, I'm not going to let you lose your mind, I promise."

Deciding to take the safest route, Valkyrie returned to the waystone, where he knew there would only be the reaper. He then led Zeus to the right, where he was met by a barrier that was already wavering. There was no need to ask the sign of this gate, for he recognized both his and Adrammelech's Capricorn. He confidently strode through the gate, and saw the waiting creature as it disappeared. Recognizing the bony skulwyrm from his time in the Zertinan Caverns, he took down the beast as best he could with just one gun.

Another gatestone lay in wait. Valkyrie gripped Zeus' shoulder tightly.

"Tell me which one this is, Zeus."

She weakly looked at the symbol on the stone. "I don't remember."

"I know you do," he said to her, pleading. "I know you remember. You still know." He put away the gun and looked into her eyes. "Which sign of the zodiac is this?"

She screwed her eyes shut and thought as hard as she could. "Virgo," she whispered.

He hugged her tightly. "See, you know. You still know. Keep thinking, Zeus. Please don't stop thinking."

Behind them, he saw that a band of ghosts was coming to inspect their presence. Shifting so that he could run, he sprinted back to waystone sixteen, then onto the abandoned Libra stone. Glancing around, he decided to once again take the path to the right. Though he was met by another skulwyrm, he managed to slay it with haste.

"Virgo," Zeus whispered. Valkyrie looked down at her, and saw her pointing to a flickering gate that was indeed embossed with the sign of Virgo.

"That's it," he replied, leading her through the barrier. "Virgo. You've got this, Zeus. Thank you. I'm proud of you."

However, when they reached the next island, they were met by a daunting sight. A large saurian was guarding one of the paths, covered in dark grey flames. "A Giruveganus," Valkyrie said with awe, recognizing the creature from old fairy tales. He carefully drew the Tournesol. Though he knew he would need all of his strength, he was unwilling to let go of Zeus.

Hoping to hinder its movement, he first struck at the beast's legs. With a great roar, the Giruveganus felt the pain of the wound and lashed backwards, lunging for Valkyrie's throat. Though he had indeed given the beast a limp, Valkyrie could barely counter the speed of the saurian's claws. Blocking as best he could, he knew that releasing Zeus was the only chance he would have to slay the monster, but he would rather fall than let her go.

Suddenly, the saurian fell backwards, enveloped by a ball of darkness. Immediately recognizing it as a gravity spell, Valkyrie looked over to see Zeus concentrating as hard as she could, the aura of arcane magick surrounding her. He swiftly struck down the fabled beast, then pulled her into another hug.

"You're doing a great job," he whispered, "you're wonderful. You just saved our lives."

Zeus, exhausted by exerting the effort to cast magick, passed out on Valkyrie's shoulder. Striding onto the path the Giruveganus guarded, he carried her and breathed a sigh of relief as the next waystone came into view. However, when they reappeared, the two were immediately surrounded by zombies, prompting Valkyrie to run forward onto the only path he saw.

A beautiful haven in the near-black reaches of the maddening maze, a blue crystal glowed in the center of the next island. Valkyrie, expecting a crystalbug, kept the Tournesol exposed, but was shocked and relieved to discover it was just a crystal, nothing more. This was a good sign for more than the obvious reason of getting Zeus help: if it was just a healing crystal, it meant that someone had slain it as a crystalbug, someone who might be Vaan.

Valkyrie laid Zeus next to their blue savior and watched as its healing magick flowed into her sleeping body, returning the color to her cheeks. Feeling safe at last, he too sat next to the crystal and closed his eyes.

-

When Valkyrie awoke, he saw a light blue figure standing in front of him. Though he immediately stood and drew his sword, the figure smiled and shook its head, indicating that it meant Valkyrie no harm. Upon closer inspection, Valkyrie saw that the figure was a young man with light hair, though because he was transparent, Valkyrie could not be sure that he was actually alive.

The young man gestured for Valkyrie to follow him, but Valkyrie protectively looked back at Zeus. Walking in front of him, the figure shook his head, as if telling Valkyrie that no harm would come to her. Reluctantly, Valkyrie began to follow him down one of the green paths. When the young man at last came to a stop, it was in front of an unguarded waystone – numbered nineteen – and gestured to the ground.

Valkyrie stooped and found a dark purple stone, embossed with ancient text, and a clasp of some sort, silver inlaid with turquoise stone. When he rose again, the young man stepped forward, gently touching the spot on his chest where his splash-shaped scar would be.

_Lit by tricks and shadows of the Mist, a gigantic mechanical foreleg extended itself. All around, the ringing and echoing of Crystal Grande's walls was to be heard. On the floor of the island a clock with no hands, only numbers I – XII. And yet, XIII lay in the middle._

Valkyrie blinked, clearing his vision. The apparition nodded to him, then touched the waystone and disappeared.

Rushing down the path, Valkyrie returned to the blue crystal to find Zeus with her eyes open.

"Urggh," she groaned. "What happened?" She looked around, confused. "Wait, where are we?"

"Oh, thank the gods, you're okay!" Valkyrie lunged forward and gave Zeus a big bear hug.

"Woah, woah," she said, laughing a little. "Seriously, what happened? The last thing I remember is taking the twelfth waystone."

"Look up," he answered."

Zeus raised her eyes and saw the thick clouds of Mist over her head. "Wow."

"You were losing your mind," said Valkyrie, visibly pained.

She clapped him on the shoulder. "Well, I'm fighting fit now, so don't worry about me." She turned her head due north. "Hey, there's a light coming from over there."

"It doesn't matter," he said, showing her what he had found. "I think I found what we came for, as well as the way out."

"Oh come on, let's just check it out real quick," she implored. "We can always run back to the crystal here if we see anything bad. Hey, I'm missing a gun."

"Oh, um, here," said Valkyrie, handing her back her weapon.

"Alrighty," she said, wielding her guns. "Let's go."

Valkyrie, still concerned for her safety, followed behind her with the Tournesol.

When they first reached the brightly lit island, it seemed empty. Zeus looked around. "Hey, do you hear that?"

Valkyrie listened. Indeed, he could hear the whirring of wings. "I do," he answered. "I think it's coming from above."

The two looked up to see a small flying castle descending upon them. Atop it sat a majestic blue skinned-woman with a horned headdress and six beautiful fiery wings. In her presence, Valkyrie felt the urge to kneel, as if she was legendary royalty, but he also felt a sort of dread which he recognized from a time past.

"She's an esper," he whispered.

"And she doesn't look happy," said Zeus, reaching into a pocket of her vest. "Hold her off; I think I have an idea."

Valkyrie stepped up to parry her blows, and not a moment too soon. The great esper cast a white bolt towards Valkyrie, which narrowly missed his skull. As she flew down to strike at him, she was suddenly knocked back by a great force. From behind him, Valkyrie heard Zeus blasting away with her Fomalhauts.

"Dark shot!" she called to him. "She'll try and target me from now on, so keep me healthy." No sooner had Zeus yelled this than a beam of light appeared under her, forcing her to her knees. Valkyrie quickly cast Cura while Zeus continued to shoot, almost ignoring the damage of the attack.

Though the esper continued to blast Zeus with beams of white light, Valkyrie was always ready to cure her wounds, and Zeus' dark shot was heavily damaging. The fight seemed to be under control until a mysterious feeling came over Valkyrie. Try as he might, he could not use any magick.

"Don't worry," Zeus yelled, "she's almost down! Help me finish her off!"

Valkyrie lunged forward, but it turned out that there was no need. With a loud cry, the esper exploded into a stream of light, engulfing Zeus. When Valkyrie could see again, he noticed that Zeus was looking down at her hand.

"Which esper is it?" he asked, looking at the crest himself.

"I can't be sure, actually," said Zeus. "But I think it might be Ultima, what as she was weak to darkness." She looked up at Valkyrie, grinning. "I guess this trip was worth it after all. Now, you mentioned that you knew a way out?"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter VII

-Rabanastre-

"That's all, then," said Valkyrie, placing the dark stone and silver clasp on the counter.

"I recognize this," murmured Penelo, "it used to belong to Vaan's vest. I cannot ever thank you enough for what you have done. Anything you need, just ask."

"How about this?" Zeus called from the corner of the shop, holding up a nihopaloa.

"Of course," said Penelo, smiling warmly. She returned her attention to Valkyrie. "I must say, I'm especially glad you're alright. The illustrious Judge Magister Ffamran turned up on my doorstep a few days ago, saying that if you didn't come back within the week that I was to go look for you all by my lonesome."

Valkyrie groaned. "He happens to be my cousin. I'm terribly sorry; I'll talk to him about that." He pushed the two relics toward Penelo, but she handed the stone back to him.

"It's the Stone of the Condemner," she said, "After all this time, you deserve to have it."

Zeus' ears perked up. "Wait, seriously?" she said, bounding over to the counter.

"Yes, I recognize it even after all these years," replied Penelo.

"Man, that would've come in handy last summer," said Zeus. A grin lit up her face. "Of course, that doesn't mean we still can't investigate."

"Zeus, it's mid-February," said Valkyrie, "the rift is going to be freezing."

"So we'll pack coats," she replied. "Hey, Penelo," she began, holding up a heart-shaped charm, "what does this do?"

"Nothing magickal," answered Penelo. "I'm just selling them for tomorrow. You know, Courtesan's Day."

"Courtesan's Day!" cried Valkyrie. "I completely forgot! Err, anyway, thanks for everything, Penelo."

"Come back and visit," called the blonde woman as the two friends exited the shop.

"Why does Courtesan's matter anyway?" Zeus asked Valkyrie. She smirked impishly. "Unless you're planning to send something to Beth?"

Valkyrie's face blanched. "Never in a thousand ages. Besides, we aren't really on good terms right now anyway."

"Why?" asked Zeus.

"Actually," said Valkyrie, "Courtesan's Day, come to think of it. She wanted me to come home for it to see her, and when I told her how that might look and what it implied, she got all hot under the collar."

"So we aren't going to be in Archades for a little bit?" Zeus frowned. "I heard there was a big festival for Courtesan's every year and I've never seen it."

"Believe me, it's not really that grand," said Valkyrie, rolling his eyes, "too many lovey-dovey couples everywhere."

"Well then," Zeus piped, "looks like we have nothing to do except...go talk to the acolytes at Mt. Bur-Omisace about the stone."

Valkyrie sighed.

-

"Shit Zeus, it is freezing."

"Oh, come along, you didn't really need your toes anyway, did you? Besides, the Stilshrine is just up ahead."

A quick meeting with the members of the Kiltias had provided the two with a few bits of information, the most crucial being that the stone would prove its use at the Stilshrine's teleporter.

"This certainly is majestic," remarked Valkyrie as they traveled down the long walkway to the temple's entrance.

"It's especially impressive when you consider how old it is," said Zeus. "The Kiltias have kept in great condition."

After greeting the acolytes at the shrine's entrance, the two stepped through the massive doors into the dark of the entrance hall. A few bats came to investigate their presence, but upon noticing how strong Valkyrie and Zeus were, they quickly fled in terror.

"The waystone is supposed to be in the entrance, correct?" asked Valkyrie.

"All the way at the back of the hall," replied Zeus.

As they approached the teleporter, Valkyrie removed the Stone of the Condemner from his pocket.

"So," he asked, "are we proceeding with the usual plan of attack?"

Zeus shrugged. "I'd say we should just be adaptable," she replied. "We're facing an esper here, so anything goes."

"Alright." He took a deep breath. "Ready?"

She nodded.

"Then we're off," said Valkyrie, touching the Stone of the Condemner to the transport.

The two blinked out of the murky entrance hall and into a tiny room, containing only another waystone and a gigantic pair of engraved doors. Valkyrie, unsheathing the Tournesol, heaved one open and stepped through.

At first, all he could see was a thin milky tail extending from the ceiling. Then, with a stately flip, what appeared to be a gigantic suit of armor dropped to the ground with an earth-shattering thud. Though the glinting golden finger tips of its outstretched left hand were unnerving, what was truly menacing was the violet claw on the opposite arm, licked through with fiery veins and cracks. Its shoulders glittered with deep purple gemstones, and though its face was helmeted and expressionless, it still radiated with a perilous, judicial evil.

They had come to the right place. It was Zeromus the Condemner that awaited their challenge.

As Valkyrie rushed forward to begin parrying the creature's blows, he heard a cry of "Shit!" from behind.

"What is it?" he called back, fending off the giant claw that squealed against his greatsword.

"An anti-magick field," she said, shooting two bullets into Zeromus. "I can't get a cast of anything off. Hey, a little help back here!"

Valkyrie dodged a thick sphere of gravity magick and turned to look at Zeus, who had been surrounded by skeletons. He raced for the undead, trading the Tournesol for the Masamune as he went.

"The katana will be faster," he yelled, cutting down the first of the bony beasts.

"Excellent," she said, plowing her shots into the Condemner.

Settling into a familiar pattern, Valkyrie kept the skeletons at bay so that Zeus could attack Zeromus. However, the anti-magick field was real trouble for them. When Zeus became afflicted with Stop, Valkyrie was nearly slain tending to her manually. After she could move her limbs again, she burrowed into her pack for a set of armlets that would keep the ailment at bay, but it was difficult with the unrelenting skeletons all around them.

As Valkyrie continued to chop up their undead foes, he suddenly blacked out. He came to moments later, the familiar warmth of a phoenix down filling his limbs. Slicing the head off of the nearest skeleton, he whipped around to see Zeus, downing some potion.

"It has a deadly gravity attack!" she yelled hoarsely. "Be on your guard!"

In response, Valkyrie began taking on the next wave of skeletons. As he tried to dodge a side assault, he felt a blow strike his backside. Though he managed to cut down his attackers, he stumbled, vomiting on the nearby floor.

Rushing forward, Zeus poured something onto his face. Though the rush of liquid was less than pleasant, Valkyrie immediately shaped up as tasted antidote in his mouth.

"Behind you!" he choked.

Zeus spun rapidly, shooting off a skull with one gun and firing into Zeromus' chest-plate with the other. Greatly pained by the blow, the esper roared and raised its monstrous claw, readying to strike.

Zeus retreated as quickly as she could, but the Piercing Graviga caught her just as she reached her perch on the steps. Valkyrie spat out a curse and hurried to her side, administering the necessary phoenix down. However, a skeleton caught his ankle on the way, afflicting him with poison. Swallowing the sensation in the back of his throat, he reached into his pack and grabbed an antidote, forcing down the contents as Zeus stood up.

However, it seemed that repeated bullets were beginning to wear on Zeromus. The esper, clearly growing tired, was firing off more and more blasts of gravity magick. Though Zeus was able to weather the blows fairly readily, Valkyrie was less lucky. He fell twice and was gravely injured many more times. Gasping for breath, he managed to avoid the blow from yet another horde of skeletons and quickly snatched a potion from his pack, swallowing the whole bottle with one entire gulp.

It wasn't a potion. A red haze clouded Valkyrie's vision, and he felt fire consume his limbs. Adrenaline pumping through his body, he roared with fury, cutting through three skeletons in the blink of an eye. He slammed into the oncoming wave, shattering skulls and kneecaps and shoulders and Gods know what else. Behind him, his ears registered a shriek, and he spun, whipping through more skeletons on his way. Forget the goddamned undead, he would cut off Zeromus' claw if he had to.

However, it seemed his aid was no longer needed. With a great, gurgling cry, Zeromus curled its limbs into its chest and receded into a sphere of purple-rimmed light. The sphere exploded, shining a great torrent of brightness onto Zeus. As the scarlet fog cleared from Valkyrie's vision, he at last understood that she had slain the esper. The cry wasn't one of peril, but delight.

As he sheathed his sword and strode toward her, still feeling tingly from his Berserk rush, she gave a whoop of joy.

"We did it!" she cried, grinning at him.

Matching his grin to hers, he abruptly pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

-

When they finally broke apart, the atmosphere turned very, very awkward.

"Um, uh, err," Valkyrie stuttered, turning his trademark shade of red.

"Ah, yeah, so," replied Zeus, just as shaken. "So, we won, and that's great, and I have a crest here, and I think we should go now, because there's nothing else to do here, and, uhm, yeah."

She stumbled into the waystone, touching it and returning presumably to the entrance hall.

Valkyrie blinked. His heart was pounding like it wanted to burst out of his chest. Suddenly, he realized that he was standing abandoned in Zeromus' chamber and started forward, tripping over his own feet as he touched the transporter.

When he reappeared, he was greeted by the sight of Zeus fending off two angry-looking Nightwalkers. Hastily drawing the Tournesol, he helped her to cut them down, extremely grateful for the distraction. However, the fight did not last forever, and as the fiends fell, the two were yet again met with an uncomfortable feeling in the air.

"I, uh, suppose we should report back to the Kiltias and the acolytes," stammered Valkyrie, "and tell them, you know, what happened and such."

"That is a fabulous idea," replied Zeus, "it's, um, wonderful and I think we should do it uh, I mean, we should tell them. Yes."

-

They made a silent mutual decision to return to Bur-Omisace on foot, which gave them the great distraction of killing everything in sight. The Nu Mou were impressed by their feat and showered them with praise, but Valkyrie didn't to hear any of it. As it was late in the day and there was nowhere to stay at the temple, the two took the Gate Crystal back to Archades, where they immediately split.

All through his lonely dinner in one of Archades' less-expensive restaurants, Valkyrie wondered whether or not he would be alone at the apartment that night. However, he felt a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach when, very late that night, Zeus quietly entered their living quarters and headed for the shower straight away. As the hot water thundered nearby, Valkyrie stared blankly at the ceiling. When she emerged soon after, she climbed right into bed, clearly believing he was asleep.

He could stand it no longer. Something had to be done.

"We need to talk," he said.

His words hung thick in the darkness. And at last, he heard a sigh. "I know."

Well, shit. That was all he'd planned up to here.

"So, um, where did you go tonight?" he asked.

"I went out to the uplands," she said. "I just thought if I focused on the hunt, it would, y'know."

"Yeah, I know," said Valkyrie. "Did you go down to the camp?"

"Nah," said Zeus. "I didn't really feel like seeing anyone. Plus, it would be hard to explain, and I really just wanted to come back here."

Valkyrie sat up. "You did?"

"Yeah, I did," she replied.

Fuck, he could almost hear her grinning. "Look, Zeus," he began, "I really should have said something instead. I'm sorry."

He heard her sit up as well. "You don't need to apologize," she said. "I guess this would have happened at some point or another."

She stood, quietly padding across the room to sit next to him on the bed.

"Err, now what?" asked Valkyrie, sweating a little.

"I don't know," Zeus responded, sighing. "This isn't really something I do. I'm not good at this sort of thing. Shit, Valkyrie, I'm not good with people. It's why I spend most of my days killing horrible monsters."

Gently, he put his arm around her and felt her stiffen a little.

"Calm down," he said, "it's not like I'm going to sweep you off your feet and make love to you all night long or something." He paused, suddenly realizing how terrible that must have sounded. "I mean, you'd probably break both my legs."

Zeus laughed, relaxing into the crook of his arm. "You're something else." She bit her lip. "I probably should have told you this sooner, but...I remember what happened in the Great Crystal."

He blushed, cursing inwardly. "I should have told you what happened. Just –" He clutched his forehead. "It really...wasn't great, to see you like that."

"I know. It wasn't easy to see you either. I owe you a lot for sticking by me." She brushed her lips against his cheek. Immediately, they both drew back. He could feel the heat of her blush against his arm and was unable to stand the tension any longer.

"Ah, hell," he muttered, "let's just do this proper."

Placing a hand behind her head, he closed the distance between them, kissing her full on the mouth. She smelled like mint and gunpowder and something else he couldn't place, but soon forgot about as she nibbled on his lower lip. When the kiss broke this time, they weren't quick to separate, but instead kept their faces close.

"I like you," Valkyrie said, lost in a world of his own.

Zeus laughed. "I never would have guessed."

"No, really," he protested, "I've liked you for a really long time."

"How long?" she asked, laughing again.

"Hell, I don't know, forever?" He closed his eyes and thought for a moment. "I guess if I had to place it, I've liked you ever since we spent the night with the Viera." He blushed again. "Err, well, that sounded dirty."

"Only because your mind's in the gutter right now," said Zeus, smiling all the same. "You know, I realized earlier tonight that we actually made it back in time for Courtesan's Day tomorrow."

"Mm," he said, running a hand through her hair, "ironic, eh?"

She giggled a little. _Fuck_, he loved that sound. "Beth is going to hate me."

He laughed. "Never you mind," he scoffed, pulling her against his chest.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter VIII

-Archades-

And so a sort of routine began; a complacency of their situation. The pair remained in Archades, taking only local hunts, or jobs down at the coast when Zeus felt antsy and wanted to return to the camp. Though far less illustrious, life remained simple, and Valkyrie discovered that he liked it that way. He still enjoyed the combat and action, but the petitions surrounding the uplands were far less dangerous than those in ancient cities or cursed temples. Plus, he enjoyed working close to home.

When he was approached by Ffamran one day outside the Sochen Cave, Valkyrie knew that the time for simplicity had come to an end.

"Why here?" he asked his armor-plated cousin, reluctantly lowering his sword.

"I figured you would not prefer to be seen in my company in the city," said Ffamran, shrugging. "Gentry talk. Also, I did a bit of snooping, knew that your lady wasn't around."

Valkyrie groaned. "If this is a matter you had to talk to me about without Zeus here, it cannot be anything I want to hear."

The Judge Magister chuckled.

"What?" asked Valkyrie, irritated.

"You've been home too long, cousin," replied Ffamran. "You've picked up some of the inflections. Alright, I suppose there's no more beating about it. Remember that cavern in the Landis Mines I've been investigating?"

Valkryie's ears perked up. "Did you find anything?"

"You see, that's the tricky bit," Ffamran admitted, "I need your help finding it. I've followed the maps, and I've discovered what seems to be the correct passageway, but the corridor is exhausted with Mist."

"That's odd," Valkyrie said, frowning. "If it's the place I stayed last summer, there shouldn't be Mist at all."

"Hence why I believe I'm lost," said Ffamran. "I would really appreciate you accompanying me on another sojourn to the mines, and by 'I,' I really mean 'I.' This is off the books, so don't mention it to Larsa."

"Considering that I'm not exactly on speaking terms with Emperor Solidor, I don't think that will be an issue," said Valkyrie, rolling his eyes. "As a bonus, this sounds like the sort of thing Zeus might be interested in, so I think we can count on her help as well."

"Ah, but good sir, you would place the object of your affections in danger?" said Judge Magister Ffamran, placing a steel-clad hand over his heart.

"You don't actually believe what you're saying?" said Valkyrie, his ears going red.

"Come now, I meant the danger of traveling with you. Considering that her ability in slaying fiends far outstrips yours, you're likely to only hinder her pursuits."

Valkyrie's face hardened. "Why didn't you just stay in the skies where you belong?" he muttered.

"An interesting question you pose," said Ffamran, pausing to think.

"Wait," said Valkyrie, "you're taking the query seriously?"

"'Query?' You _have_ been home too long," joked Ffamran. He paused, then replied. "I came home when I realized that life is too short to spend it only thinking of oneself."

Valkyrie was confused. "But didn't you travel with a partner?"

His cousin sighed. "That's not what I meant, Valkyrie. Well, I suppose it is, but more of not. You're probably hopelessly confused now, aren't you?"

Judge Magister Ffamran clapped Valkyrie on the back.

"I'd best be returning, then. Three days, outside of Old Archades by sun-up. Don't be late."

-

As Valkyrie had expected, Zeus was more than eager to help out. Still, it had taken a bit of convincing. She wasn't the biggest fan of anything involving the empire, and who could really blame her? Still, Judge Magister Ffamran was Valkyrie's cousin, and at least he lacked the stiffness that most imperials seemed to possess. The fact that this little venture was a secret didn't hurt either.

However, as they approached the edge of Old Archades, Valkyrie caught sight of Ffamran standing a little ways away, right next to another armor-clad man. He groaned, and hearing the noise, Zeus looked up. She turned to him, visibly angry.

"I thought you said the empire wasn't involved in this?" she spat.

"Believe me, that's the information I was given," he replied, sighing. "Either my cousin has hoodwinked me, or there's something very odd going on."

"Ah, brightest of mornings to you, cousin, my lady," simpered Ffamran, ever the charmer. "I hope you don't mind good old Gabranth here tagging along, eight hands are better than six, as they say."

Valkyrie glanced at a glaring Zeus, then at his cousin. "The Judge Magister, ahem, isn't he– "

"Come now, Valkyrie," replied Ffamran, "you can trust Judge Magister Gabranth. Why, he's better at keeping secrets than I am!"

"I'm afraid that's no falsehood either," sighed Gabranth.

Judge Magister Ffamran swiveled to face his partner. "Ah yes, his is a life of whispered secrets and clever ruses," he said.

"Didn't you drag me out of bed this morn for a reason?" asked Gabranth.

"Ah yes. My lady?" asked Ffamran, "if you would ever be so kind to lead us to the cavern?"

"I suppose," said Zeus, a little disgruntled. "Follow me, everyone."

"Why didn't you tell me you were bringing company?" hissed Valkyrie to his cousin as they entered the tumble-down mine entrance.

"Last minute decision," whispered Ffamran. "These things happen."

As Valkyrie and the two Judge Magisters followed Zeus down the tunnels, it was not long before the Mist began to grow steadily thicker. Indeed, plagued at first only by simple cave rats, the fiends they faced soon turned to oozing, swollen flans and bats that were tinted a rather unhealthy color. Even worse was the occasional shambling corpse, though thankfully, these were not too great in number.

As Zeus put a bullet through the head of a zombie, she stopped briefly, taking in her surroundings.

"Something is definitely not right," she stated. "I've been down this passage many times, and I can say for certain that we're going the right way. But never have I seen even a lick of Mist down here."

"It could perhaps be a collapse in another area, a shifting of tunnels," suggested Gabranth. "The mines were originally closed down for that reason."

"You didn't hear that, by the way," said Judge Ffamran hurriedly.

"And who are we really going to tell?" said Valkyrie. "Let's just keep going."

The passages continued to twist and turn, the air shimmering an unnatural orange. The party's movements slowed as they continued to press on, as Ffamran had begun to complain of a headache and Valkyrie's stomach was tying itself in knots. At last, Zeus halted their movements in front of the opening to another passage, right where the Mist seemed thickest.

"This is it," she said, coughing a little. "It didn't used to be like this though; Valkyrie can attest to that."

"Wait," murmured Judge Magister Ffamran, "this carving, on the wall." He gestured to what Valkyrie recognized to be a zodiac circle. It bore striking resemblance to the one near where they had discovered Adrammelech.

"It is the same cavern then, gods be curst," exclaimed the Judge Magister. "I have been here now at least four times with that marking as my greeter every time. I simply thought I had arrived at the wrong locale."

Valkyrie caught Zeus' eye, and she immediately understood his concern. That zodiac circle hadn't been here last summer, and, if previous experience was anything to go by, it was a sure sign that an esper lurked inside.

"Everyone, weapons at the ready," said Valkyrie, drawing the Tournesol.

"A wise notion, Valkyrie," said Gabranth. "I sense that there is evil among us."

"Well then, shall we rush to meet it?" asked Ffamran, slyly. "Fear not, ladies and gents, I shall go first."

The Judge Magister ran headlong into the cavern, only to have his disappearance followed by a loud crack. Quickly following suit, the others entered the cave, only to see Judge Magister Ffamran thrown against the wall. He stood shakily and braced himself, assuming the stance for white magick.

"Don't worry about me, just concentrate on _it_," he choked.

It was so strange, Valkyrie almost could not describe it. A serpent, perhaps, dangling from a gigantic ornate arch. However, whatever it was, it seemed furious and ready to obliterate anything and everything in its path.

"Protective spells, each of you!" cried Gabranth, swinging his mighty sword into the serpent's face. Valkyrie felt Protect immediately wash over him and, to his surprise, Haste as well.

"Go forth, cousin!" yelled Ffamran, "we'll take the back flank!"

Heeding the Judge Magister's words, Valkyrie hurried to aid Gabranth, who was currently taking most of the monster's fire. He swung into the arch, hoping to distract the creature. It worked, but he immediately felt his limbs freeze altogether and his senses shut down. As he felt Dispel take effect, he cried out to the others, "It's Disable!" and continued his assault on the fiend.

The serpent was proving itself to be a difficult beast to tame. It could dish out physical punishment as well as take it, and every so often, it would blast one of the party members with a bolt of darkness, usually knocking them unconscious. Thankfully, Zeus and Ffamran were quick with their healing, but it was difficult to keep up. Both Valkyrie and Gabranth fell victim to Disable several more times, and thus the two back flank warriors were constantly occupied. When Valkyrie regained control of his body yet again, he heard Gabranth call out.

"Get back!" cried the Judge Magister. As Valkyrie retreated for the back of the cavern, he heard a gasp from Zeus. Looking back towards Gabranth, he realized the cause for her surprise: a zodiac circle had appeared beneath the Judge Magister's feet, shining its brightest at the sign of Leo. Heeding the call of its master, Hashmal, the Bringer of Order, sprung into battle.

"Keep them both healthy," stated Ffamran, keeping his head. "We wouldn't want either of them placed in peril now, would we?"

As Valkyrie had never bothered to learn healing Magick, the best he could do was send of casts of Bravery and run to administer potions when need be. However, his constant movement proved to be a boon. The others, remaining mostly in one spot, were easy targets for the monster and its Magick. Hashmal, however, speedily proved himself a useful ally. For every blast of darkness the serpent sent, the esper would respond with his own earth spells and mighty blows. It seemed if they could get the two creatures to battle it out in a stalemate, they could at last wear the serpent down.

However, as Valkyrie hurried forward to give Judge Magister Gabranth a remedy, the serpent struck Gabranth down with a piecing ray of light. With his master defeated, Hashmal was forced into dismissal, though the esper managed to land a final heavy strike along the way. The serpent, clearly pleased with itself, opened its mouth to roar.

Seizing the opportunity, Valkyrie plunged the Tournesol into the creature's throat.

A loud, piercing scream enveloped the cave, and Valkyrie was swallowed in darkness for what seemed like an everlasting amount of time. When at last the blackness cleared from his vision, Valkyrie blinked and felt a crystal clutched in his hand. Though the crest was not one he recognized, he knew what it must belong to.

"So it was an esper after all," he said quietly.

"Of course it was," called Ffamran, causing Valkyrie to jump. "Just like that, all the Mist has gone." It was true. The familiar orange haze had faded away.

"Gods," said Zeus, sinking back against the wall, "I'm exhausted."

"And I as well," groaned Gabranth, stirring from the floor. "This is the last time I let you drag me into this sort of mess, Ffamran."

"Oh, every time is the last time with you," said Ffamran.

Grinning at the banter of the two men, Valkyrie examined the walls of the cave. Sure enough, the familiar blue carvings were once again shining as sunlight spilled in through a crack in the cave wall. It was then that he noticed text that appeared to be fresher than the rest.

"Zeus," he said, "come take a look at this."

Groaning, she got to her feet. "What now?"

"Do you recognize this?" he asked.

Puzzled, she shook her head. "That's definitely new."

"Can you read it?" he asked.

"What do you take me for, a ye-olde-tongue dictionary?" she said. "I do recognize a few words, though."

She squinted at the blue words. "'Esper' is in there a few times. And there's 'crystal,' that one I recognize from the Sun-Cryst translations." She frowned. "But this, this is definitely a numeral notation. XXVII."

Ffamran perked up. "Twenty-seven, you say? That can't be good."

"And why not?" asked Zeus snarkily.

He raised glove to helmeted forehead. "That unfortunately just made this trip official business. I have a letter from the Garif that you both need to see."


End file.
